


2019: A Versailles Reincarnated Christmas Story

by TwoWeird



Category: Versailles (TV 2015)
Genre: Christmas Miracles, M/M, Philippe d'Orleans as rock star Chevalier d'Lorraine as Fashion designer; modern day MonChevy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-25
Updated: 2019-12-25
Packaged: 2021-02-18 04:48:58
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,555
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21955174
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TwoWeird/pseuds/TwoWeird
Summary: Philippe's band, The Sound of Distant Thunder (known affectionately by fans as The Sound) has an opportunity to play in the Great Parisian Christmas Eve concert to be broadcast globally. However [the Chevalier d']Lorraine has decided he needs to spend the holidays with his family in the south of France because they are not getting any younger and he has always put work (and his husband Philippe) ahead of them. It looks like the two will spend Christmas apart until a chance encounter at a pub changes everything.
Relationships: Chevalier de Lorraine/Philippe d'Orléans | Monsieur (Versailles 2015)
Comments: 6
Kudos: 10





	2019: A Versailles Reincarnated Christmas Story

**Author's Note:**

> This is a stand alone work inspired by the multi-chapter saga Versailles Reincarnated. Versailles Reincarnated takes place in modern day Paris (and Rouen), France where people who lived in Louis XIV's time at the palace of Versailles, are being reincarnated into the modern world. It mainly relates the story of MonChevy with Fabien/Claudine as their friends and Louis as Philippe's brother whose mother put Philippe up for adoption because she had no means to support a baby having just left her alcoholic, abusive husband with two year old Louis. The characters are born into the modern world and, as adults, begin to have dreams of their previous lives at Versailles, then begin coming across others who hve also been reincarnated.

\--------------

Lorraine had just left his meeting and was able to get to the message his brother Jason had left for him on his phone. The subject line of the message was “URGENT It’s about Mom!” which had alarmed him and caused him to make the meeting shorter than he had wanted. He’d told the client he had a family emergency and that he would call him to reschedule the meeting and discuss his designs.

As soon as Lorraine reached the privacy of his office, he dialed his brother.

“Jason, what is happening with mom? Is she okay?”

Jason answered (rather nonchalantly for an emergency Lorraine thought), “I’m not sure what is going on, but she’s not herself. She’s lost weight and seems to be tired all the time. I asked dad if there was anything wrong and he said there wasn’t, but I just feel like something is going on they don’t want to tell me.”

Lorraine sighed with relief. He had imagined his mom in the hospital or worse. Jason had a tendency to exaggerate things and it appeared he was on one of his “the sky is falling” rants. Jason was four years younger than Lorraine and still lived at home. Last summer he’d found himself out of a job and disinterested in continuing his college classes, so he had come to Paris to stay with Lorraine while Philippe was on tour. He’d met a girl and for a while was in love, but as usual, he got cold feet and ended the relationship. Lorraine wondered if his brother would ever become an adult and get his own life.

Lorraine continued, “I’m sure they would let us know if there was something really wrong with her. How is she otherwise? Is she still babying and spoiling you?”

“That’s not fair! She doesn’t baby me. And she certainly doesn’t spoil me. But you wouldn’t know that. You’re too busy to call home and share your time with any of us.”

Lorraine sighed. His family knew how busy he was. He had a very successful fashion design business to run. And a demanding husband when he wasn’t working. But, of course, he didn’t mind fulfilling all of Philippe’s needs. It was just that, as a rock star, when he wasn’t on tour, he had a lot of downtime. His band, The Sound of Distant Thunder, had just completed the last show of their European “comeback” tour. Philippe was at home most days with little to do. He was always thinking of song lyrics, of course, but they were still promoting their latest release, so new music wasn’t a priority.

“Would you like me to call mom and talk to her? I think she’d tell me if there was anything wrong,” Lorraine asked Jason.

“I’m sure she would love to hear from you. But I don’t know if she will say anything. They are being really tight-lipped about this.”

“Maybe because there is no ‘this.’ You know mom is always talking about losing weight. Maybe she’s finally managed to do it and we should be happy for her. Has she changed her routine? Did she decorate for Christmas like she always does? And, is she still cooking, cleaning and doing everything to ensure you and dad are comfortable?”

“Well, she and dad did decorate the house for Christmas. It’s very gaudy as usual. I have to wear sunglasses to keep from being blinded by all the lights and glitter. And, she’s been cooking like crazy. She made ten dozen cookies for the church Christmas bazaar and knitted a dozen scarves to donate to the home for the elderly. Oh, and she has some new friends. They seem to meet every morning at eight. I’m usually still sleeping, but I hear her leaving. Dad always yells a goodbye to her.”

“There, that’s it! Maybe those friends are in an exercise group. That would explain the weight loss. And she appears to be running at her usual frenetic Christmas pace. I don’t really see anything unusual with her from what you have said.”

“But it’s this feeling I have. Things just don’t feel right. You know she’d love to have you and Philippe come for Christmas.”

“And we would love to be there, but I am extremely busy at work. All my clients are wanting new clothes for the holidays and of course they have waited until the last minute. But I will talk to Philippe and see if we might not be able to come for at least Christmas Eve and Christmas—and maybe stay a few days after.”

“Oh, that would be wonderful. I know mom and dad would love that. I would, too!”

“I can’t promise anything until I talk to Philippe, but I don’t see why we couldn’t come to visit a few days. And I’ll call mom to say hello. You’re right I don’t call home often enough. It’s so sad that Philippe and his mom and brother don’t get along. I can understand why, since she gave him up for adoption and Philippe had a hard childhood as a result. It’s a reminder to me of how grateful I should feel for having such a wonderful family. Philippe needs to experience more of that family love, and I think a trip to visit would be great for him. I have to go now. Keep your chin up. I’m sure if there is something wrong, they’ll let us know when the time is right.”

“Call me when you get a chance to talk to Philippe! I’d love for you two to visit us! We’ve got a lot to catch up on!”

They said their goodbyes and hung up. Lorraine promised himself he’d talk to Philippe tonight and call his mom afterwards with the good news. It lifted his mood to think he and Philippe would be going back to the home where he’d had such a wonderful childhood. The song, “I’ll be home for Christmas” popped into his mind—only he knew it wouldn’t just be ‘only in his dreams.” He started humming the tune to himself softly as he went to his next meeting.

******

That night, as he opened the door to his home, Philippe met him at the door with his customary glass of wine and nothing on but a large red bow. He gave Philippe a kiss and murmured in his ear, “Is this your way of saying all I’m getting for Christmas, is you?”

Philippe answered, “Aren’t I enough?”

Lorraine took a good drink of his wine and laughed, “Of course, you are everything I ever wanted. But a little bling on the side would just sweeten the deal.”

They kissed again as they moved towards the couch by the fireplace. It was customary for them to sit and talk a few minutes to allow them to discuss their day and shed those worries until the next day. The night was to be for them to enjoy without the days intruding.

When Lorraine got to the phone call from Jason, he put off mentioning the trip back home until after they discussed Jason’s worries about his mom.

“So, do you think I should be concerned about my mom?” Lorraine asked.

Philippe knew how Jason was because Jason had come to stay with Lorraine while he had been on tour. He’d stayed longer because he had found girlfriend in Paris. It had been awkward having someone else in the house. Then Philippe had asked Teejay, the guitarist who was hired to fill in while their regular guitarist, Chris, recuperated from two broken wrists suffered while skating, to stay with them, too. He had felt bad for Teejay all alone at a hotel (although it was a very nice hotel—the record company had gone all out to ensure Teejay was comfortable.) Teejay, too, had found a girlfriend and had moved back to the hotel so they could have some privacy. It had been nice to have privacy again and Philippe went back to his usual greeting Lorraine at the door in some sort of surprising garb or lack thereof, offering the glass of wine and the trip to the sofa to talk and unwind.

Tentatively, Philippe answered, “I can understand why Jason might be worried. I think a call home would be a good idea. Talk to your mom and dad. Give them a chance to tell you if there is really anything to worry about. You have a great family. And the one thing I’ve noticed is that you’re all honest with each other.”

Now that Philippe had given him the official okay to call home, Lorraine felt it was time to tell him the rest of it.

“Before I call though, I need to talk to you about something.”

“I’m sitting right here, listening. What is it?”

“I’d like to go home for Christmas. For both of us to go to my home for Christmas. It’s been a long time since I spent Christmas with my family.”

“Oh dear. That’s a great idea, except…”

“Except what?” Lorraine asked nervously. “Why don’t you want to go to visit my family for Christmas?”

“It’s not that I don’t want to visit your family. But, well, I had some great news of my own to tell you after I’d let you finish with your concerns.”

“And what is this great news you put off telling me so I could whine about my problems?”

“I didn’t say you were whining! Don’t put words in my mouth! I just didn’t want to spring this on you until you’d had a chance to get… I don’t know—get your problems off your chest. You seemed worried and I wanted to hear you out.”

“So, what is this great announcement you have that is more important than me seeing my family for Christmas?”

“I didn’t say it was more important than your family. But today my agent Lily called me to tell me the band was chosen to replace one of the bands that were performing in the Great Parisian Christmas Eve Celebration. The one that is going to be televised internationally! There are rumors that Robert Plant and Jimmy Page are going to perform! There is going to be all kinds of music on the show and we’ll be playing alongside some real music legends. They are still developing the lineup, but names like Aerosmith, Ed Sheeran, Paul McCartney, Cia, Lady Gaga, even Madonna are in the mix. It’s a great chance for us to get global recognition! It’s an all-day celebration and will feature a lot of other lesser known bands from Paris, France and Europe.”

“It’s not outdoors is it?”

“No, they had wanted it outdoors because they expect the crowd to be huge, but they opted to have it inside and were able to book the AccorHotels Arena that seats 20,000 people!”

Lorraine sighed heavily. “I can see why you’re happy. It sounds like it is going to be fabulous—and a very good opportunity for the band.”

“I’m glad you understand. I promise, we’ll go visit your family soon and it will be wonderful!”

“I’m afraid, though, that I am going to spend Christmas with my family.”

“But _I_ am your family now!”

“Yes, you are, but if my mother really is sick, then I have to be there with her. Just the thought of her possibly being sick has me thinking that I’ve really neglected my parents. I keep thinking tomorrow I’ll call them, tomorrow I’ll go visit, but their tomorrows are running out. I forget how old they are getting. I really feel I need to go be with them this Christmas.”

“If this last year has taught us something, it’s that tomorrow is not guaranteed for anyone!” Neither one of them liked talking about Philippe’s tour plane crash-landing in Sweden followed by his kidnapping and near brush with death.

“Yes, I know I came very close to losing you this year. It scares me to death just thinking about it. But you have an obligation to your band, and I have an obligation to my mother and father. I guess we’ll be spending our second Christmas apart.”

They looked at each other sadly. Philippe knew that, if he insisted Lorraine be with him for Christmas, Lorraine might give in, but he would resent Philippe for it and his thoughts would be on his family. But Philippe had an obligation to the band, and this was an amazing opportunity.

Meanwhile, Lorraine was thinking along the same lines. He really wanted and needed to be with his family this Christmas and he knew Philippe needed to be with the band and perform in this international concert. It could be big break for them. The idea of Christmas without Philippe, however depressed him.

“Philippe do you think you could do the concert Christmas Eve then fly to be with me and my family afterwards?”

“I don’t know. We have a meeting with the record execs tomorrow to discuss all the details. The only thing is that I would be so tired on Christmas day. I don’t know exactly when we play on Christmas Eve and what press events we are scheduled for or when I would be able to leave. I do want to be with you on Christmas. What if you flew your family here for Christmas?”

“If my mother truly is sick, then I don’t think that would be a good idea. She loves Christmas and goes all out for it. I don’t know that she would want to have it anywhere but in her own home. You know it is always a little awkward when my parents are here. We’d have to be quiet in the bedroom. When they were here for the wedding it was extremely embarrassing to find out they could hear us.”

“I’d rather have to be quiet than to not be with you at all!”

“Yeah, me too.”

“Maybe you could just ask what they think of the idea? If they came here, she wouldn’t have to work so hard decorating and everything at home.”

“I don’t know. I feel it would be selfish of me to ask that of her. It might make things worse, but I’ll keep it in mind when I talk to her tomorrow. Now, when do I get to unwrap my package?”

“After we eat. Marda made us a prime rib with all the fixings.”

“Oh yeah, I can smell it. I’m hungry. I only managed to grab a quick sandwich at my desk for lunch. We’ve been so busy.”

“Why don’t you go change into something more comfortable? I’m going to put on a robe unless you prefer me to stay like this?”

“A robe is a good idea. I’d have trouble concentrating if you went to the table in only that bow. Lorraine leaned over and kissed Philippe then got up to go to the bedroom. Seeing Philippe only in that bow _was_ very distracting. If he wasn’t so hungry, he might even put off dinner for some holiday ‘fun’ with Philippe. But then it would be a shame to let that prime rib sit in the oven and dry out. He took Philippe’s hand and pulled him up. They walked to their bedroom hand in hand. Philippe put on his robe and went back out to the kitchen to set the table and get the food out while Lorraine took off his work clothes and put on his robe.

Philippe had opened a bottle of good red wine from his well-stocked wine closet. Lorraine recognized it as one from their anniversary trip to the island of Santorini, Greece where they had spent their honeymoon and where Lorraine had surprised Philippe by setting up a ceremony to renew their wedding vows with their original wedding official and spiritual guide, Sunset Jones.

Philippe pulled his chair out for Lorraine, then poured wine into his glass. Philippe sat down in his own chair. The prime rib smelled delicious and looked cooked to perfection. They started out with a spinach, cranberry and walnut salad topped with a creamy blue cheese dressing. Marda had made whole wheat cloverleaf rolls to go with their meal. Steamed asparagus sprinkled with grated Parmesan cheese, creamy smashed potatoes and au jus accompanied the roast.

They talked about light subjects as they ate, and Philippe kept their wine glasses filled. Lorraine felt himself relaxing—he also felt Philippe’s bare foot rubbing up and down his leg. At several points Philippe stopped and reached to take Lorraine’s left hand in his right and brought it to his lips for a soft kiss. As Lorraine’s belly filled, his focus began to turn from the food to the bow he knew was under Philippe’s robe. When they had finished with the main course of the meal, Philippe told Lorraine to sit and drink the last of the wine. He removed their plates and took what was left of the meal to the kitchen.

He opened a bottle of white wine and poured Lorraine a glass to which Lorraine asked, “Are you trying to get me drunk?”

“Yes, my love, now drink up. We have lemon tart with fresh strawberries and Chantilly cream for dessert.”

“Please give me just a small slice of the tart. I am stuffed with all this good food and can’t eat much more. That is, if you want me to follow through on the bow activity.”

“Certainly. We can’t skip the bow activity!”

He returned to the kitchen to wrap the food and put it in the fridge. He returned to the table with two small slices of the lemon tart with dollops of the cream and several whole strawberries on each plate. Then he pulled a chair up to sit next to Lorraine, filled their wine glasses and sat down next to Lorraine.

He reached over to Lorraine’s plate and picked up a strawberry. “Here love, let me do the honors.”

He held the strawberry up to Lorraine’s mouth and Lorraine took a good bite of it. Philippe put the rest of the strawberry in his mouth, then leaned towards Lorraine, turned his head gently with a hand to either side of his face and pulled him in for a strawberry flavored kiss.

“I’ve been waiting to do that all day since I saw the dessert,” Philippe murmured in Lorraine’s ear. Lorraine’s response was to kiss Philippe again.

As they ate their tart and strawberries, the frequency of the kisses increased. By the time the last bite of the tart was consumed, their thoughts had gone beyond food. They exchanged a long, passionate kiss, after which, Philippe said, ‘I think I am ready for you to remove this bow—the ribbon’s getting a little tight.”

He stood up, helped Lorraine up and they kissed again. This time Lorraine untied Philippe’s robe and parted the front of it to put his arms around Philippe and pull him in for another kiss. He slipped the robe over Philippe’s shoulders and let it fall to the floor. Philippe did the same to his robe. They stood their naked except for the bow on Philippe. Lorraine pushed him towards the bedroom and then onto the bed.

“Guess I need to take care of this now. It does look like it’s getting pretty tight. Why didn’t you leave it looser?”

“It kept falling off. I didn’t think it would take you so long to get around to taking it off.

‘Why didn’t you just use some tape?”

“Really? You have to ask me that? Would you want tape stuck to your cock?”

“No. But I wouldn’t want ribbon tied tightly around it either.” Lorraine tried to untie the ribbon holding the bow on. Uh-oh! I think you tied it into a knot. I pulled the end I thought would undo it and nothing happened. I think I’m going to have to cut it off. Where’s the scissors?”

“You are not coming near me with scissors! And the more you handle it, the tighter the ribbon gets! It’s starting to really hurt!”

“I think I can get my finger between the ribbon and your cock enough to start cutting it. I’ll be very careful. Did you put the scissors back in the desk drawer?”

Philippe answered, “Yes,” realizing that he had no choice.

Lorraine went to the desk and retrieved the scissors. Then he went to Phillipe and managed to get his finger under the ribbon enough to get the tip of the scissors in and cut the ribbon about a quarter of an inch. He continued slowly and carefully cutting a quarter of an inch at a time, with Philippe groaning with each cut. Finally, he made the last cut and the ribbon and bow fell off.

Philippe sighed and said, ‘Oh god! I’m never doing that again!”

“Yes, my darling, let’s just leave the bow for gold jewelry in the future. Lots of gold jewelry with diamonds and other gems. Now, where were we?”

“Trying to arouse me so I can fuck you.”

“So that’s the plan tonight, then? Looks like I don’t have much left to do.”

With that Lorraine turned his full attention to the arousal of Philippe, who then made good on his promise. They both were just drunk enough to heighten the experience but not so drunk that it interfered with their performance. And it was a great performance. Afterwards, Philippe lay exhausted on top of Lorraine. He had ensured Lorraine had been satisfied, too, and they both lay there in a state of afterglow bliss. Lorraine reached up and pushed Philippe’s damp, dark curls off of his face, then ran his index finger softly down his cheek then to under his chin where he gently pulled Philippe down for a soft kiss.

When Philippe finally rolled off him to the bed next to him, Lorraine said, “I think I’d better call home now before I drift off to sleep. They don’t usually go to bed until after the news.”

He sat up and reached for his phone and dialed his mom. Berta quickly answered in a happy, cheerful voice, “Well, if it isn’t my long lost first born! John! It’s Phil! He’s alive!”

“Okay, you can cut the sarcasm. I know I don’t call home often enough. How are you doing, mom?”

“Your father and I are doing very well, thank you. How are you and Philippe? Are you going to be able to come home for Christmas?”

“Well, that’s what I am calling about.”

“Oh no, don’t tell me you aren’t coming!” she answered with true dismay in her voice.

“Philippe and I were just discussing it and he just found out that the band has been invited to play at the Great Parisian Christmas Eve Celebration. It’s going to be televised all over the globe and is a wonderful opportunity for them and a big honor.”

He could hear the disappointment in her voice as she said, “So, you aren’t coming home to visit, then?”

“What I wanted to ask is if you, dad and Jason might want to come to Paris instead? There is so much we can do. And Paris is really beautiful with all the Christmas lights and such. Philippe doesn’t have all the details yet, but Paul McCartney may be part of it and probably Lady Gaga. I know you love Lady Gaga and dad loves Paul McCartney. I’m sure Philippe can get great seats for you. You can stay with us, or we could get you a great room in a nice hotel or even in a Bed and Breakfast type place. I know you love staying at those.”

“But what about all our Christmas traditions? We’ve already decorated the outside of the house and were going to put the tree up later this week.”

“Come here and decorate our house. When was the last time you and dad took a trip together, just the two of you?”

“Hmm. It has been a long time since we’ve had a trip together.”

“Look, Philippe has a meeting tomorrow where he’ll find out all the details. You and dad discuss it and I can call you tomorrow night. Meanwhile, how are you and dad feeling? Did dad ever get his cholesterol levels down to where the doctor wanted?”

“Yes, I’ve tried to change my cooking to help him out. It was a challenge that I rather enjoyed. Gave me a chance to try out new recipes and for the both of us to eat healthier.”

“That’s great! Is dad exercising? I know the doctor told him to, but I know dad, and he doesn’t like to exercise.”

“Actually, he’s taken up golf.”

“Golf?! I thought dad hated golf!”

“He did, but his friend Ernie has some of the same health problems as he does, so they decided to try playing again. Doing it together has proved to be fun for them and they are playing whenever the weather is nice enough. It’s not so frustrating when you have someone to play with that is a beginner, too. Of course, after their game they go to the clubhouse and have a drink or two, so whatever calories they burned up they gain back by drinking.”

“But mom, the walking is great to get his blood flowing and tone his muscles. Exercise is much more than just burning up calories.”

“Yes, you’re right. Well, not to let him outdo me, I’ve started an exercise program, too. Some friends and I have started walking every morning. We started out slow but are building up. It’s fun because we talk, and it doesn’t seem like work at all. I’ve already lost ten pounds.”

“That’s great! So everything else is okay with you? No other medical problems?”

“Nothing major, why do you ask?”

“When you say nothing major, what exactly do you mean? Is there a minor problem?”

“Well…you know, the basic things. I’m getting arthritis in some of my joints—my shoulder especially. I’ve got a mild case of anemia and have been taking a B12 tablet daily. If the tablet doesn’t help, the doctor said he would start me on the shots. I noticed that I didn’t seem to have as much energy as I used to. I shrugged it off thinking it was just a result of getting older. I mentioned it to the doctor, jokingly, and he included a test for B12 levels and discovered they were low. I haven’t been taking the supplement long enough to notice if it’s working or not. Other than that, I’m as healthy as any other 48-year-old.”

“I’m sorry to hear you are having some problems, but glad that they aren’t too serious.”

“And you? Are you staying healthy? Are you and Philippe still drinking a lot of wine? Are you avoiding risky situations?”

“Yes, mom. I’m staying healthy. Philippe and I enjoy our wine, but we don’t drink too much. And we are truly monogamous. We don’t take chances or engage in risky behavior, as you put it. Mom, we are so very much in love. We satisfy each other completely. Do you want to hear details, or have we discussed that topic enough?”

“You’ve said enough. I’m glad you found Philippe and are happy.”

“Talk to dad about coming to Paris for Christmas. We can make it whatever you want. The possibilities are endless. I know it’s not your traditional Christmas but maybe you need to be a little adventurous. Do something unexpected. Try something new. And I will pay for everything. It will be my Christmas present to you.”

“We couldn’t ask you to do that!”

“You didn’t ask. I’m doing it because I want to do it for you. Make this Christmas a memorable one. I’ll call you tomorrow then.”

When he hung up and put his phone back on the stand, Philippe asked, ‘What’s the verdict? Is she sick?”

“She’s fine. She has mild anemia and has been taking B12 supplements. She’d getting arthritis in several joints, but she has started walking with her friends every morning and has lost weight that way. Jason was just jumping to conclusions as usual.”

“You didn’t tell her you planned on being there for Christmas.”

“No, I knew if I did, she’d make excuses and they wouldn’t come here. I would’ve lost all leverage to get them here to Paris. But still, if they don’t come, I’m still going to be with them for Christmas. I realize I’ve lost too much time with them. You and I will have many, many other Christmases. I feel I really need to be with my family for Christmas as much as it breaks my heart not to be with you.”

“I understand. And I can call you and tell you how the day went. We could even have phone sex.”

“Yeah, sure. It’s only for a couple of days.”

Philippe leaned in and kissed Lorraine softly. “You know you are lucky to have such a great family.”

“You could enjoy your family, too, if you forgave your mother and made an effort with Louis.”

“No, Louis and I don’t have that much love for each other. He’s always been a thorn in my side and never truly respected me in this life or the previous one. As for my mother, I don’t like her. Even if I could forgive her for abandoning me, I just don’t like her as a person. She doesn’t approve of you and I and never will. She thinks only of herself—even to Louis. She always demands things from him, and he gives them to her without question because he’s under her control. She’ll never control me. Every time I’ve given her a chance, she has let me down.”

“I just hope one day in the future you don’t change your mind and regret shutting them out.”

“I won’t. I’m sure of that. Now, do we want to go another round, or do we want to sleep?”

“Sleep, my love. It’s been a long tiring day for me. I feel so satisfied and happy. I just need sleep, now. Goodnight, my mignonette. I love you so very much.” Lorraine leaned over and kissed Philippe softly.

Afterwards, Philippe answered, “And goodnight to you my Chevalier. I, too, love you more than words can convey.”

They settled in, side by side and sleep quickly came.

*********

The next day Philippe joined the band at the meeting with the record execs and learned all the details about the Christmas Eve concert. Teejay was still filling in for Chris, although Chris planned on being onstage doing a little guitar work. He was trying to strengthen his wrists, but it was a slow process. The doctor had said he could play thirty minutes if he limited the complexity of his playing. So he and Teejay had gotten together to work out how they would handle the guitar parts. It turned out their set would only be forty-five minutes so that worked out well for Chris. They were scheduled to play at two in the afternoon but had to show up for the finale when all the musicians would be sharing the stage. Philippe asked if he was _required_ to be there and was told, yes it was a requirement he be there then stay for the press conference afterward. The Press would interview each musician/band in reverse order of when they played. That way the big names would be interviewed first so they could leave earlier. The lesser known bands would be last, but it was still valuable publicity. They were each to get 3,000 euro for their performance and participation in the finale and press event. That was enough to make the inconvenience bearable.

After the meeting the band went to the pub to celebrate. Philippe had promised Lorraine that he wouldn’t get too drunk and he intended on keeping his promise. Of course, the band put a lot of pressure on him to do whiskey shots. He did a couple then excused himself. He went to the bar to separate himself from the band long enough to get his head straight and keep his promise to Lorraine. He ordered a glass of wine and was sitting there sipping I twhen someone sat down beside him with a great sigh. He looked up and saw that it was Santa Claus—well, some guy dressed up in a red Santa Suit. He thought to himself, _Yeah, of course, Santa decided to hit the bar. Poor bum was probably going to spend the money he’d just made on booze._

He chuckled when ‘Santa’ ordered a Spirit of Christmas hot chocolate. The holiday special consisted of hot chocolate, Kahlua coffee liqueur, a shot of vodka and a shot of spiced rum. It looked benign but packed a good punch. After he ordered the drink Santa turned to him and said, “Wow, it’s been a long day.”

Philippe returned, “Must be hard dealing with all those children.”

“Oh, I love children. My heart goes out to all those who don’t get their wishes for Christmas.”

Philippe chuckled and answered, “Isn’t that what you are supposed to do? Travel around the globe delivering toys to all the good girls and boys?” Philippe noticed that Santa had beautiful blue eyes, his cheeks were round and full, and he had dimples—especially when he smiled—and he smiled a lot. His lips were full with the perfect “cupid’s bow.” He was a tall man of heavy build, but wasn’t what Philippe would call fat. His hair was white and a little curly. He wore it a little long, just brushing the back of his neck. He also had a neatly trimmed white beard—nowhere near as full as the normal Santa beard. Philippe smiled to himself and thought this man had been born to play Santa—at least physically, except for a few details.

Santa chuckled and said, “You know all those images of me are outdated, but no one wants to go against tradition. When I’m not wearing this suit, few people recognize me as Santa. I just put on the suit for a charity event. I do like to go to those.”

Philippe started to say something then thought better of it. Why get in an argue over whether this man was a real Santa or not? Instead Philippe asked, “Shouldn’t you be at the North Pole getting ready for Christmas?”

Santa laughed—a deep chortling laugh—and said, “Actually I spend my summers here in Paris. I love this city. I just came to get something for Mrs. Claus for Christmas. The elves are back at the pole, hard at work on the toys. She loves a certain designer’s clothes and loves to get it in the original designer box. She’s had her eye on this certain scarf he designed. You might know him. Philippe Lorraine?” There was an impish gleam in Santa’s eye as he said that.

Philippe was shocked and unsure what to answer but finally got out, “Uh, yeah I know him. He’s my husband.”

“And that must make you Philippe Orleans, the famous rock star. And that’s your band at that table. You guys made a great comeback last year. 2020 is going to be a great year for you.”

Philippe had no idea how to respond except to say, “Yeah, I’m the rock star and that’s the Sound and we certainly hope we do well in 2020.”

“You will, don’t worry. But I know you’re troubled. I could tell it by the way you were sitting. What is it that’s making you so unhappy?”

“Yeah, right. If you could convince my in-laws to come to Paris for Christmas that would be great,” Phillipe said sarcastically.

“Is that all you want?”

“Well, a million dollars is always nice, but we really have enough money. There are things more important than money.”

“Oh, yes, you’re being sarcastic about the money, but you really mean it about the in-laws. You want to spend Christmas with your husband. I understand.”

Sarcastically, Philippe asked, “And if you grant me this wish, what should I do for you? Set out some cookies and milk? Or is there anything else you would prefer?”

“Oh, I get enough cookies and milk. But a bottle of a nice wine or champagne, a glass, and a nice brie with some crackers would hit the spot.”

“Yeah, you got it.” Philippe answered, going along with what he thought was a farce.

“I’d better go and get that scarf before it gets too late and get back to the wife. It’s been nice talking to you. Remember, chin up! Things are never as bad as you think.”

Before Philippe could answer, Santa was off the bar stool and out the door. Philippe wasn’t sure what had just happened. Had he really just sat here and talked with a department store Santa as if he were the real Santa? Whatever had happened, he decided he’d had enough to drink, and it was time to go home. The rest of the band could continue celebrating, but he didn’t have his heart in it. He called his car and said his goodbyes to the band who protested his leaving, but quickly turned back to the celebration when they realized he really intended on going home.

As he stepped outside, he looked down on the sidewalk and there was a Santa hat just lying there. He looked around and could see no one it might belong to, so he picked it up. It wasn’t the least bit dirty and he smiled as he thought of a good use for it.

**********

On the way home from work, Lorraine sighed and wondered how drunk Philippe would be when he got home. He knew Philippe and the band had a meeting with the record execs about the Christmas Eve big concert and that afterwards, he was going to the pub with the band to celebrate. Philippe had promised not to get too drunk, but he had a habit of forgetting that promise when he was at the pub with the band and they had done a few rounds of whiskey shots. Lorraine was exhausted and was not at all in the mood to deal with a drunk Philippe.

When he got home, he opened the door nervously not knowing if Philippe would even be there to greet him as was customary and there was Philippe wearing nothing but a red Santa’s hat with fur trim on his cock and holding a glass of wine for Lorraine.

“Ho-ho-ho! Mr. Santa has a surprise for you!” exclaimed Philippe. He was a little unsteady on his feet but didn’t appear to be too drunk. He handed Lorraine his wine and kissed him then led him to the couch, continuing, “I came home early and like I promised didn’t get too drunk. In fact, I wasn’t in the mood for drinking and went to the bar to order me a glass of wine instead of a whiskey shot.”

“Oh, so you kept your promise not to get drunk?”

“Sort of. I didn’t drink much at the bar but, when I got home, I was bored and opened a bottle of wine. That glass is the last of the bottle! But I’m not too drunk. Really. Now tell me about your day so we can get on to the fun things!”

“First you tell me about the meeting with the record execs. What did you learn about the concert?”

“Well we go on at two in the afternoon, but we have to stay and do the finale with all the bands, then there’s a press event we have to attend, too. We’ll be lucky to get done by one or two in the morning.”

“Still, I could send the jet to pick you up. It wouldn’t take long to fly to my parent’s house. Maybe you could get some sleep between your performance in the afternoon and the finale at night.”

“I think that would be hard to do. And besides, I’d like to see some of those performances. Oh, they did confirm some of the bigger acts and McCartney and Gaga are definitely going to be there. You might tell your parents that.”

“Yeah, that might give them incentive to come here for Christmas.”

“Now, tell me about your day!”

They drank wine and talked until Lorraine got all his work problems off his chest to an attentive Philippe. When he was done Lorraine asked Philippe if anything exciting had happened to him.

“Well… I saw Santa Claus. He sat next to me at the bar of the pub.”

“You mean some drunk department store Santa?”

“No, he said he had just come from a charity event. He wasn’t as much the commercial version of Santa as we’re all used to. He was more real with his own curly white hair and neatly trimmed and dapper, white beard and moustache.”

Lorraine just looked at Philippe. “Are you sure you’re not drunk?”

“Well, I am a little, but that really did happen!”

“And what was Santa doing in a bar in Paris?”

“He said he and Mrs. Claus summer in Paris. He came to Paris—listen to this, this is great—he was here to get a scarf from your store for Mrs. Claus!”

Lorraine was now sure Philippe was drunk or someone had slipped something into his drink.

“Maybe we should get some food down you and maybe some coffee.”

“Coffee? I don’t need coffee. Let’s open another bottle of wine. The night’s still early and Mr. Claus is waiting for you under the hat.”

“About that hat. Where did you get it from?”

“Found it outside the pub on the sidewalk. I think Santa Claus dropped it.”

“You do, do you? Okay, if you say so.” Lorraine decided it must be something dropped in his drink that was making him so silly. “Look. I’ve got to call my parents and talk to them. Why don’t you go take a shower and freshen up?”

“A shower? By myself? I can wait for you and we can take one together. Go on, call your parents and get that over with so we can get on with our fun.”

Lorraine sighed. May as well get the call over with. He knew what his parents were going to say—that they preferred spending Christmas in their own home and then he’d offer to come home to be with them for Christmas, leaving Philippe to his concert. It was what it was.

He picked up his phone and dialed. His mom answered very cheerily—but his mom was always cheerful. That was just her nature.

Lorraine told her what Philippe had said about the concert and his requirements for attendance.

“Oh, that’s quite alright. Your dad and I have talked, and we think you were right.”

“I was right? About what exactly?”

“That he and I have are stuck in our ways and could use a big change of pace. We’d love to come to Paris for Christmas although I don’t know that we can make it all the way through Philippe’s band stuff. We’re not used to staying up past ten in the evening. But we’d love to stay in a Bed and Breakfast and maybe stay and do some sightseeing.”

“Really? That sounds wonderful! What about Jason? Will he want to come?”

“Actually, yes. He and Brielle have been talking a lot over the phone. He’s been thinking about going back to Paris to see her. I think things are really serious between them. He dated quite a few girls when he got back but his mind kept going back to Brielle. But I hope you don’t mind letting him stay with you. Your dad and I want some privacy. That is, if you don’t mind.

“Jason’s no problem at all. It’ll give us a chance to really talk. I’ve missed him. So tell me when you want to come and when you want to leave. I’ll check into available BnB’s and I’ll send you some pamphlets on things to do here. Check them out and let me know as soon as possible what you want to do. Reservations really book fast over the holidays, but I’ll see what I can do for you. I’ve got a lot of favors to cash in.”

“Don’t go out of your way to help us. We’ll make do.”

“I told you, this is my Christmas present to you. Besides I want to show off a little. Show you how important I am now!”

“If you insist then.”

They talked about some of the things Lorraine knew about Paris and what his mom and dad were interested in. Lorraine made notes. When they got done, Philippe had dozed off and his head was on his shoulder.

Lorraine kissed Philippe and whispered in his ear, “Love do you still want to take that shower together?”

Philippe roused himself and asked sleepily, “Are you done with your mother?”

‘Yes, for tonight. They are coming to Paris, my darling and we will be together for Christmas after all. My parent’s wanting to break out of their rut is like a miracle!”

“Yes, a miracle. Guess I need to geta bottle of Dom Perignon.”

“For my parents?”

“No, for Santa.”

“For Santa? Guess I don’t understand. Before we take that shower, what is there to eat? I’m starving.”

“We can heat up the prime rib or just make some sandwiches with it.”

“Sandwiches sound quick and good.”

They ate sandwiches and opened a new bottle of wine. After they were done eating, Lorraine discovered the surprise Mr. Santa had for him. It wasn’t much of a surprise, really. He knew what was under the hat and what it could do. He let Philippe remove his work clothes. In the shower, they kissed and enjoyed washing the other’s body, paying particular to each of their Mr. Claus’s taking care not to over excite them so they would still be “at attention” when they moved to the bed. Then Philippe’s Mr. Claus worked his magic on Lorraine. When Philippe’s Mr. Claus was spent and exhausted and Philippe was happy and satisfied, Lorraine’s Mr. Claus worked his magic and brought Lorraine to his satisfying release. The two of them lay in each other’s arms, contented and fulfilled. They whispered their love to each other and showed it in gentle caresses until they finally both fell asleep.

*********

The days passed with Lorraine filling his many Christmas orders and Philippe and the band practicing for their big night. Lorraine sent his parents all the information he had promised them. He found them a nice BnB that was located across the street from the bus stop where they could catch a bus that would take them to most of the spots they wanted to visit that weren’t already within walking distance of the BnB. Lorraine offered them a car to take them wherever they wanted, but they said they preferred to walk or take the bus. He told them if they changed their minds, to just let him know.

Jason already had his plans. Yes, he wouldn’t mind having a room at their house, but he expected to spend most of his time with Brielle. Brielle now had a better living arrangement with only one roommate. Jason told him he now planned to take a full load of classes at the college at home and was fully invested in his psychology degree.

Jason came to Paris as soon as college classes shut down for the holidays and planned on staying through New Year’s. Lorraine’s parents decided to come two days before Christmas so they could get settled in and to stay a week.

Lorraine had asked Marda to hire the people she normally did to decorate the house and asked for more traditional decorations to please his mother and father. Philippe had also asked Fabien and Claudine to come to the concert and he got everybody tickets in the reserved area. The section had a great view of the stage and was reserved for special friends and family. Lorraine and Philippe didn’t mention that the tickets cost quite a bit of money. Their friends and family were worth the money. Philippe even called Louis to ask if he and his family and their mother wanted to come. Louis politely declined saying he was tied up in Rouen with city festivities he had to oversee as mayor. He thanked Philippe for thinking of him and said he would send a car with the presents he had for Lorraine and Philippe on the 23rd. Philippe said he would send the presents he and Lorraine had bought for them back in the car. After the call, he breathed a sigh of relief. That was one less headache he had to deal with.

Soon it was the morning of Christmas Eve. Philippe was in a very amorous mood and woke Lorraine with urgent kisses. Lorraine responded and they started the day off with a very enthusiastic round of sex. Afterwards, they took time to just lay in each other’s arms and enjoy the moment. Finally, Philippe declared that he needed coffee. They reluctantly got up to eat a good breakfast. Philippe wasn’t sure when he would get to eat again, so he ensured he started the day off right. Lorraine went with him to the venue but had promised his parents to meet for lunch at eleven. Unfortunately, Philippe would not be there, but they had met his parents for dinner last night. Philippe had a chance to welcome them to Paris and spend a proper amount of time with them. They understood how busy he would be and that he wasn’t intentionally blowing them off.

At eleven Jason and Brielle joined Lorraine, Berta and John for a leisurely lunch. They went back to their places to change for the concert. Lorraine called a car and went around picking them all up for the concert. Philippe had given them passes to get them backstage to his dressing room. Philippe already was in his blue leather pants with a billowy satin blue, print shirt, and a matching blue leather vest Lorraine had designed for him. He would start their set in a calf-length leather blue jacket that matched his pants but would take off the jacket as he warmed up. They watched as Lorraine coaxed curls into Philippe’s damp hair then added blue glitter to it. The final touch was to put on Philippe’s stage makeup. Berta was fascinated by his transformation.

When he put on his boots, she said, ‘You don’t look much like the Philippe I know, but I have to say it looks fantastic! You could easily blend into Lady Gaga’s set.”

“Thank you! Knowing how much you like Lady Gaga that’s quite a compliment!”

Soon, it was time to join the band and head for the stage. Lorraine and the rest were escorted to their seats. Not too much later the house lights went down and the crowd knew the Sound of Thunder was about to start their set. The set was a scaled down version of their normal set. They still had the darkened set with the three screens on which the lightning travelled back and forth to the sound of actual distant thunder, until Teejay and Philippe made their appearances highlighted by spotlights, Teejay playing the riff the fans were now very familiar with and Philippe responding with his sung lines in a point-counter-point until the rest of the band joined in and the stage lights blazed on and the band was going full tilt into their raucous, loud set. Philippe strutted as he sang and became the rock god that Lorraine loved to see. He knew that was HIS Philippe out there strutting his stuff for HIM. The fans might think it was for them, but Philippe had told Lorraine his thoughts were always on Lorraine and his whole sexual vibe was inspired by his love for Lorraine.

Berta exclaimed, “My, but Philippe looks magnificent onstage!”

“Mom! What are you saying? That’s my husband out there.”

“Yes, and he looks magnificent. Isn’t that what he’s supposed to look like?”

“Yeah, but… oh never mind. He does look great.”

The Sound played the best they had ever played. They were on fire and had the crowd up and rocking enthusiastically. At the end of the set, the crowd roared for more as the band made their bows and walked off the set. They were allowed a five-minute break before they went out for their two-song encore. It was all prearranged, but if the crowd had not roared with enthusiasm and seemed indifferent, they would not have been allowed to go back out on stage for the encore. Unfortunately, this had happened to a few of the lesser known bands before them. Time was tight and every moment on stage was precious international exposure.

After the set, they returned to their dressing rooms where they were served all the water and non-alcoholic beverages they wanted, and a small buffet arranged by their record company. Each band member was allowed either a six pack of beer or a 1.5-liter bottle of wine. The stage manager did not want the band to get drunk in the seven-hour wait for the finale. Philippe’s party could ask to be escorted back to him, but the only one interested in joining Philippe in his dressing room was Lorraine. The others wanted to see the rest of the acts. Lorraine didn’t mind at all. He eagerly looked forward to spending time alone in Philippe’s dressing room.

Lorraine entered the dressing room and Philippe jumped up from his chair and ran over to kiss him.

With his arms still wrapped tightly around Lorraine, Philippe asked, “How did we look and sound tonight? I think we played well, but sometimes it’s hard to make a judgement on yourself.”

He looked intently at Lorraine’s face looking for the truth.

Lorraine smiled and answered, “You and the band were magnificent. You heard the crowd, didn’t you? They roared for you! They loved you! And you? Well, I wouldn’t be surprised if all the dark corners and hallways have people in them pleasuring themselves or having sex with partners. You were that good.”

“You’re just saying that because you’re my husband and you can’t resist me.”

“Well, that is partially true, but I swear to you, I saw couples on the floor in front of the stage groping each other. They even dragged a couple out of the crowd because they were on the floor doing something. Those around them were cheering them on, but all we saw of them was when security picked each of them up and carried them over their heads out of the crowd. I did see one security guy zipping one of the guys’ pants up so that gives you an idea of what they might’ve been doing.”

“You didn’t really see that, did you?”

“Yes, I swear I did. But enough of that. You and I are in here alone and you can feel for yourself my reaction to your stage show.” Lorraine pressed his crotch against Philippe. Are you going to take care of me?”

“There’s no locks on that door. Anyone could come barging in here.”

“Go find one of the stagehands and make him guard the door. Tell him not to let anyone in unless you tell him it’s okay again.”

“Yeah, but sometimes the stage manager ignores them and pushes his way in anyway.”

“Ok go find someone to guard the door and make it quick. I can’t wait much longer for you!”

Philippe did as he was told. When he came back into the dressing room, Lorraine scooted a wooden chair to him. “Put this chair under the doorknob and wedge it in so that it keeps the door from being opened. Wedge it in there tight. Yes, that’s it! Now turn around and let me kiss you.”

Lorraine’s kiss was rough and urgent. He backed Philippe up against the wall as they kissed. Between kisses Philippe breathily protested, “My hair, I still have to go on stage for the finale and do the interview!”

“Don’t worry, I’ll fix it again.” Lorraine had unbuttoned Philippe’s shirt and pushed it off his shoulders, with it still tucked into his leather pants. Lorraine didn’t care, he wanted access to Philippe’s chest. His skin tasted deliciously salty from the sweat as Lorraine sucked and nibbled on first one nipple, then the other. Philippe was quickly catching the fever, too, and soon they were on the floor. Philippe let Lorraine bring him to full arousal and then had his way with Lorraine, then Lorraine returned the favor. Their surroundings and the chance of being discovered added a heightened sense of danger—and Philippe always reacted to danger with an increased libido. The hard, concrete floor was not the most comfortable place to make love, but Philippe sacrificed a couple of his towels to cushion them. After the first urgent round, they stopped to drink half the wine Philippe had been given, saving the second half of it for after the next round. The next round they took it slower, savoring every moment of it.

Afterwards, Lorraine was lying on top of Philippe, kissing him softly, caressing and enjoying the touch of his now sensitive flesh.

Lorraine whispered in Philippe’s ear, “Merry Christmas Eve, mignonette. You do know that I love you with all my heart, don’t you?”

Philippe stroked Lorraine’s face, answering, “Yes—and all your body, too. Such a pliant, hot body.” Philippe nipped at Lorraine’s lip. “There’s nothing I enjoy more than ravaging it—unless it is you pillaging my body.”

They continued the sweet talk, caressing and kissing until they heard someone try to open the door and saw the chair move but stop as it wedged tighter against the door preventing it from opening any further. Through the crack in the door they heard the voice of the stage manager.

“Philippe! You are needed immediately!”

“Its not time for the finale is it?”

“No, the press wants to interview you and the band. What’s going on in there? You need to come right away.”

“I thought that wouldn’t happen until later, after the finale.”

“The press is moving up the interviews for the bands they liked the best. Your band is one of them. They want you there right now!”

“Give me five minutes. I’ll be out in five minutes.”

“Why the hell did you block the door?” the stage manager asked.

“There was no lock and I wanted some privacy. Now go and leave me alone. I’ll be out in five minutes!”

Lorraine had already rolled off Philippe and was gathering his discarded shirt and vest. Philippe sat up and pulled his pants up and buttoned them. This was a moment that he hated Lorraine’s love for button flys. A zipper would’ve been faster. Lorraine was running his hands through Philippe’s hair trying to push it back into some semblance of order.

“Oh god, Philippe! Your face! Your make up is all smeared!” Philippe was now putting his shirt and vest on. They both stood up and Lorraine used a swab of cotton to wipe away the smeared makeup. Then he grabbed the cover up and begin dabbing it onto the areas where the darker makeup had smeared. Philippe was buttoning up his shirt as Lorraine frantically worked to get his face looking decent.

“I think you should wear the long coat you came onstage in. It will help hide the wrinkled shirt. Hold still, I need to get your face fixed.”

“I don’t have much time, love.” At that moment the stage manager was back at the door yelling at Philippe to hurry up. Philippe leaned in and kissed Lorraine, “It’s okay, love, I’m a rock star. It doesn’t matter if my makeup is smeared. Help me get this chair out.”

They realized they had done too good of a job wedging the chair in there and were having a hard time getting the chair loose.

Lorraine panicked, “Philippe, I’m afraid we’re stuck in here! It’s not unwedging!”

“Stand back, I’ll get it!” Lorraine stepped back and Philippe raised his leg and with all his strength came down on the legs of the chair with his booted foot. Fortunately, it was a wooden chair and not a metal one. Philippe managed to break through the crossbars between the legs and the chair crumpled a little.

“What the hell are you doing in there?” yelled the stage manager.

Another blow of Philippe’s booted foot crumpled the chair completely. Philippe grabbed the crumpled frame and tossed it aside. As he did so, he told Lorraine, “You can stay in here, but I have no idea how long I’ll be or if I’ll be back before the finale. It might be best if you ask them to escort you back to the others.”

Lorraine was zipping up his own pants and looking for his shirt. He knew his hair was a mess and he didn’t look at all like the usually meticulous and fastidious designer. But none of that mattered. Philippe gave him one quick kiss before he left.

After Philippe stepped outside, Lorraine could hear Jack saying, “What the hell happened to you? You’re a damned mess.”

Philippe shot back, “You don’t look much better!”

“Well, I never look all that good. Did Lorraine do this to you?”

“What do _you_ think?”

“Aw, yes, of course. Damn we’re getting old. It used to be groupies who messed us up. Now it’s just our spouses. Nothing risqué about that.”

“Oh, Lorraine is very risqué. He finds me very sexy on stage and when I get off shows me just how much he’s aroused by me. Your wife doesn’t find you equally sexy?” Philippe gave a sarcastic laugh. “Sorry, I forgot for a minute who I was talking to.” This was just the normal banter Philippe and Jack engaged in.

When the rest of the band joined them, none of them looked much better. Well, what did the management expect when you leave band members alone in their dressing rooms for five or six hours with nothing to do? They did call it drugs, sex and rock n roll, after all—although this band had given up drugs—unless you included alcohol as a drug. But they only drank to excess when they got together in a pub.

They were honored that they were the first of the lesser known bands to be interviewed. This meant they might get home before two in the morning or later.

The interview went very well, and they got to give their story, including the crash landing in Sweden and Philippe’s abduction. While Philippe had been deeply traumatized by the ordeal, at this moment he knew it was something that set them apart from the other bands and made them stand out. Then came the photo taking. Philippe apologized for his rough appearance. The photographer told him it made him more interesting. After all, this was rock and roll. There were no rules in rock and roll.

As Philippe had guessed, they got done with the interviews and photos just in time for them to be led to the finale. Paul McCartney had joined Lady Gaga onstage for a couple of songs. Philippe thought about how happy that probably made Lorraine’s parents. Then all the participants were ushered onstage for the final song. It was John Lennon’s “Imagine,” followed by his “Give Peace a Chance” and finally his “So This is Christmas!”

Philippe noticed that Yoko Ono and Lennon’s two sons, Julian and Sean were onstage, too and the young men were hugging each other with tears in their eyes as Sean’s mother stood behind them. The sight of the two brothers from different mothers, gave him a pang of regret. For just a moment, he wished he and Louis were closer. Then he pushed that thought and feeling away. He had all the family he needed with Lorraine and his family. Louis and his mother had only brought him heartache in this life, and that wasn’t going to change. Too much water under that bridge!

Then he looked out into the audience to the reserved section and found Lorraine. Lorraine was looking right at him with adoring eyes. He remembered back to Versailles; the way Lorraine, as the Chevalier, had looked at him many times with that same adoring look. As long as he had his Chevalier, Lorraine, he didn’t need anyone else. He smiled back at Lorraine who blew him a kiss. Philippe regretted not being able to blow one back, but knew Lorraine understood. At the end of the last song, however, Philippe decided to blow a kiss back to Lorraine. Lorraine would know it was for him, but as far as anyone else was concerned, Philippe was blowing a kiss to the audience.

After the finale, Philippe and his band mates were free to go while many of the other ‘lesser’ bands were just lining up for their interviews. Claudine, Fabien and Lorraine’s family were waiting for him at the cars he had ordered to take them all to their homes or rooms. They all congratulated him on a great performance.

Berta made a comment, “Philippe, I can understand why you look so disheveled, but for the life of me can’t figure out why my usually meticulous designer son is such a mess tonight.” Then she smiled at both of them and they both blushed. They said their final goodbyes and got into their cars and went off to their places. Jason was going home with Brielle, so that left Philippe and Lorraine alone in their house. When they got home, they kissed, and Lorraine expressed his desire to go to bed. Philippe told him to wait a minute, he had something he needed to do.

Lorraine watched with a puzzled look on his face as Philippe took out his ice bucket and stand, filled it with ice, and placed a chilled bottle of his expensive Dom Perignon champagne in it. Next, he assembled a cheese and cracker tray adding an apple and knife.

“My love, I am really tired and don’t really want to drink any champagne. Let’s save that bottle for a time when we can really enjoy it.”

“It’s not for you.”

“It’s not? Who is it for, then? Is someone coming over this late at night?”

“It’s for Santa Claus.”

“Cookies and milk aren’t good enough for him?”

“Nope, not this year. He has gone above and beyond to make this a very wonderful Christmas. It’s the least I could do for him.”

“Okay, whatever you want. I’m going to the bedroom. Join me when you’re done messing around in here.”

“I won’t be long.”

When Philippe joined Lorraine, he saw that Lorraine had already fallen asleep. That was just as well, because Philippe was dead tired, too. He undressed and climbed in bed and kissed his sleeping husband. This had turned out to be a wonderful Christmas, after all.

Later that night, Lorraine was awakened by some rustling coming from the living room. Then he heard a pop that sounded suspiciously like the uncorking of a champagne bottle, followed by the sounds of liquid being poured. He thought he heard a soft sigh and the sound of someone settling into one of the chairs. He was about to get out of bed and go explore when he realized it must be Jason. For some reason, he must’ve decided not to stay the night with Brielle. Lorraine settled back in the bed and fell asleep.

The next day, when he got up, he noticed the champagne bottle and the tray were both empty. Jason had made a glutton of himself again. Everyone was meeting here at their house for a late Christmas brunch followed by the opening of presents. Lorraine had assumed Jason was in his room sleeping when he saw him walk in the front door with Brielle. He had been more surprised when he learned Jason had been there all night.

He turned to Philippe and said, “Love, I heard someone in the living room late last night and thought it was Jason drinking the champagne and cheese you left out. He swears he was at Brielle’s all night. Do you have any idea who drank the champagne and ate the cheese? You were in bed beside me.”

“I already told you, it was Santa Claus. I promised him I’d leave it for him if he granted my wish for a Merry Christmas with the family here in Paris. He fulfilled my wish. Don’t you think it’s been very merry Christmas with your whole family here?”

“Yes, I guess so.” Lorraine wasn’t sure who was the crazy one. Philippe for believing in Santa, or himself for not believing. But one thing was for sure, it was a very happy and merry Christmas!


End file.
